Friday, March 12, 2010

Health Care Bill I Introduced

This past Wednesday I introduced my own version of the Healthcare bill to the House of Representatives. It has been referred to several house committees for consideration. The reason that I have introduced this bill is that I don’t think any of us have a right to disagree or to not be supportive of someone else’s effort unless we at least provide an alternative. Health care reform must be deficit-neutral and must be fully paid for by squeezing out more savings from the pharmaceutical manufacturers and private insurance industry instead of cramming down hospitals and other providers and taxing Americans.

The bill I have introduced includes several pieces of legislation that I have presented to the floor in the past including language for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate prices of pharmaceuticals for Medicare Part D recipients, eliminating pre-existing conditions, allowing drug importation that Congressional Budget Office has projected will save 50 billion alone over the next 10 years, exempting all pharmacies and pharmacists from durable medical equipment accreditation, and no taxpayer funding for abortions.

As a former pharmacist and co-chairman of the bipartisan Congressional Community Pharmacy Coalition, I feel the most important part of the reform effort is that the bill will stay completely deficient neutral.

The bill I introduced, H.R. 4813, is now on my website. To read the full text of the bill, please go to http://www.house.gov/berry/ It is entitled Health Care Reform Bill on the left tab.